Lagos-Calabar highway project wasteful, corrupt – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has characterized the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project as both wasteful and corrupt.

He also criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu for allocating N21 billion for a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, labeling it a misallocation of resources and a mechanism for siphoning public funds.

Obasanjo made these remarks in the sixth chapter of his latest book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future,’ in which he provides insights into the personalities and actions of leaders at both federal and state levels.

This book was one of two new publications launched to commemorate Obasanjo’s 88th birthday last week.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed that the 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is projected to cost N4.93 billion per kilometer, clarifying that the contract was awarded on a counterpart-funding basis rather than through a Public-Private Partnership.

Approximately N1.06 trillion has been allocated for the initial phase, which constitutes six percent of the overall project, commencing at Eko Atlantic and concluding at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Numerous prominent Nigerians, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, have raised concerns regarding the Federal Government's decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company without a competitive bidding process.

Chagoury is thought to be a long-time business associate and friend of Tinubu.

Reflecting on Tinubu's two years in office, Obasanjo expressed concern that the trend of shortchanging Nigeria's over 230 million citizens is likely to persist, stating, “Everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop.’”

When approached for comment on Obasanjo’s criticisms, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga chose not to respond.

The former President expressed that a significant number of individuals who have had the opportunity to assume leadership roles in the nation—such as governors, presidents, ministers, commissioners, and local government chairmen—are inadequately prepared, self-serving, and engaged in corrupt practices aimed at personal enrichment, all while the country suffers from severe poverty and unacceptable underdevelopment.

Obasanjo remarked that many individuals aspiring to govern or lead the nation are primarily focused on leveraging their positions for personal gain and that of their associates, ultimately leaving the country in a deteriorated state compared to their arrival.

He highlighted that numerous candidates for office are willing to incur debts amounting to billions of naira, under the assumption that repaying these loans with public funds post-election will pose no challenge.

He elaborated, “How can one rationalize the case of a chief executive, a governor, who was indebted to banks for billions of naira and millions of dollars prior to taking office, yet within two years of his governorship, and without any business activity, managed to settle all his debts?”

“You are left to speculate on the source of those funds. After successfully navigating his first term, he appropriated nearly half of the state’s resources during his second term. He exemplifies the prevalent misconduct at that level, with only a few exceptions.”

He continued, “State resources are seized and misappropriated for personal use, with minimal allocations made to staff and associates to silence potential whistleblowers or critics during and after their tenure.”

He further emphasized, “The most egregious offenders are those chief executives who engage in deception, falsehoods, and attempts to obscure the truth regarding contract awards, agreements, treaties, borrowing, and the premature sale of national assets. Such individuals are unqualified for the positions they occupy.”

Instances of waste, corruption, and misallocated priorities are exemplified by the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which the President has ignored despite public outcry, and the newly constructed official residence for the Vice-President, built at a staggering cost of N21 billion during a period of economic distress. This project was intended to demonstrate the administration's proactive approach and underscore the significance of the Vice-President's role. Such actions reflect a narrow-minded perspective.

To tackle some of the nation's challenges, the former President emphasized the necessity of critically examining the Western model of liberal democracy currently in practice and exploring how it can be adapted to better suit African contexts.

“If the West, the origin of liberal democracy, is expressing dissatisfaction with its effectiveness, we must possess the wisdom to reflect, conduct an internal assessment, and recognize that this model is failing to serve us, beyond the flaws of its practitioners.

“We should pursue a form of democracy that is rooted in African history, culture, and characteristics, one that takes essential African elements into account. Until we find a more suitable term, let us refer to it as Afrodemocracy.

“From Afrodemocracy, we can develop a constitution that truly represents the African populace for those who choose to embrace this model, thereby addressing most, if not all, of the shortcomings identified in Western liberal democracy,” he proposed.